Trolley.



Fatanted July 29, I902.

W. L. VON HARDENBERG.

} TBOLLEY.

(Application filed June 22, 1901.)

Wnwniar I UNITED S'IATES,

P TENT OFFICE;

WILLIAM L. VON HARDENBERG, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

T R O L L EY SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 705,798, dated July 29, 1902. Application filed Tune 22; 1901.- Serial No- 65i577. (No model.)

ing in New York city,borough of Brooklyn,

county of Kings, and State of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements in Trolleys, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the drawings accompanying and forming part of the same. My invention relates particularly to the construction of trolley-wheels and trolleys to be used upon electric railwaysin connection with an overhead conductor.

Figure 1 is a front view of my device. Fig. 2 is a sectional view on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a side View of the trolley-wheel.

The same reference characters designate similar parts in the various figures.

'A is the trolley arm or end of the trolleypole, attached to the electric-motor car in the usual way and being formed at the upper end with a yoke, the two arms A of which are separated a considerable distance, as shown in Fig. 1.

pivot-pin A through the same and riveting the ends of this pin into the end pieces A of the yoke. As will. be seen by reference to Fig. 2, an annular recess is formedineaoh of the arms, which accommodates the reduced end bearing portions of the trolley-wheel, so

that they have a suitable bearing formed in such arms. My trolley-wheel, therefore, can turn readily about its bearing in the trolley arm, and it will be, manifest, of course, that suitable antifriction devices may be employed to reduce the friction of theseparts. Suitable balls or rolls could be used at the bearing-points. It would also bepossible to provide special lubricating means to keepthis bearing lubricated at all times.

The trolley wheel B is formed with a central annular groove B, which is in the center of the wheel and is formed quite deep, as is shown in Fig. 1. The wheel is also formed with two helical grooves B", which communicate at the point B with the central groove B and which are tangent to such central groove at that point and which extend on either side of the trolley-wheel substantially to the end portions of the same. These helical grooves are right and left handed, and

. points.

My trolley-wheel B is pivotally mounted in this yoke by passing a while I have shown both of them communieating with the central groove at a single point they might be arranged to communicate with this groove at diiferent parts around the circumference of the wheel. Furthermore, the distance of these helical grooves from the axis of the trolley-wheel gradually decreases from the central groove, where their diameter is greatest. I have indicated in the drawings a gradual decrease in the distance of the helical grooves-that is to say, the decrease in the distance from the bottom of the groove to the axis is in proportion to the length of the groove as we proceed from the center groove to the ends of thehelical grooves. In other words, the variation in diameter of the helical grooves is proportional to the length of such grooves between any two I have shown suitable retainingshoulders uponthe edgesof thehelicalgrooves, and these shoulders are made sufficiently high to retain the wire in position on the wheel, as will be explained. 'The ends of the arms A arebeveled, as shownin Fig. 1, so that the trolley-wire will be properly engaged by these parts and deflected into the grooves 011 the trolley-wheels.

The operation of my device is as follows: The trolley-wire normally engages the central groove and the wheel will normally act just as the ordinary trolley-wheel having a single annular groove therein; but in case of displacement of the trolley-wheel, so that it engages the trolley-wire at another place on the trolley-wheel, the contact between the wire and'wheel will cause the rotation of the wheel and the trolley-wire will move up one of the helical grooves B and therefore guide the trolley-wheel with relation to the wire, so that the wire is restored to the central groove B, and since the engagement of the trolleytoo the trolley-wheel in the helical grooves is always sufficient to rotate the Wheel and to cause the Wire to be guided up the helical grooves into the central groove. Furthermore, as in my construction, the increase of diameter along the helical groove is substantially proportional to the length of the groove between any two points. This action of the trolley-wheel in restoring the wire to its proper engagement with the wheel is more perfect than with the other constructions. This may, however, vary very considerably from the exact form of helical grooves which I have shown. Since the ends 'of the arms A are beveled at A if the wire comes in contact with these as the trolley jumps the wire the wire will be caught on the beveled portions of these arms and restored to the end of the helical slot B In my construction of trolley-wheel, the Wheel being formed in one piece the restoring action will be very much better than if the wheel were made of separate pieces not rotating together, because, as will be readily seen, when the trolley jumps the wire the wheel is usually rotated with considerable rapidity and the inertia of this wheel as soon as the wire comes into engagement with the grooves B will assist the frictional action between the wheel and the wire to restore the wire to its proper engagement. I have formed the central groove B of very considerable depth, as is seen in the drawin gs, so that when the wheel comes in contact with the switch-plate of ordinary construction it is impossible for the helical grooves to engage with the side edges or guard-pieces on the switch-plate, which would tend to displace the trolley with relation to the trolley-wires. The central groove must be deep enough, so that the switch-plate is prevented absolutely from coming in contact with any part of the wheel except the edge of the central part of the-wheel, and I form the central groove sufficiently deep to effect this in all cases and form the shoulders about the helical grooves B with relation to this. These shoulders must of course be formed sufficiently high to give the proper grip between the trolleywheel and the wire when the wire is in these helical grooves.v I

What is claimed as new is- 1. A trolley-wheel formed with a deep central annular groove, a right and left handed helical groove substantially tangent to said annular groove, said helical grooves being of varying diameter, the increase in diameter of such grooves being substantially proportional to the distance between any two points, a trolley-arm formed with a yoke at the end of the same, beveled circularbearing portions formed on said yoke, said beveled portions serving to guide said trolley with relation to the trolley-wire.

2. A trolley-wheel formed with a deep annular groove in the center of the same, a right and a left handed helical groove substantially tangent to said annular groove, said helical grooves being gradually increased in diameter from the ends to the center of said trolleywheel, a cylindrical bearing extension formed on either end of said trolley-wheel, a trolleyarm having a yoke formed at. the end of the same, bearing portions formedvon said yoke having circular beveled extensions and annular grooves into which said bearing extensions on said trolley-wheel fit and a pivotpin secured to said trolley-arm and passing through said Wheel.

3. A trolley-wheel formed with a central groove inclosed by annular flanges, and right and left handed helical shoulders forming helical grooves leading into said annular groove, said annular flanges having a greater diameter than the greatest diameter of said helical shoulders.

4. A trolley-wheel formed with an annular groove inclosed by annular flanges, and a helical shoulder forming a helical groove leading into said annular groove, said annular flanges having a greater diameter than the greatest diameter of said helical shoulder.

5. A trolley-wheel formed with a central annular groove inclosed by annular flanges, and helical shoulders forming helical grooves leading into said annular groove, said annular flanges having a greater diameter than the greatest diameter of said helical shoulders; a trolley-arm formed with a yoke to support said trolley-wheel and with beveled extensions on said yoke on either side of said wheel.

WILLIAM L. VON HARDENBERG. 

